Articles by Andrea Wells

Andrea Wells is vice president of content for Wells Media Group Inc., overseeing coverage for its multiple print and digital platforms. She is a veteran insurance journalist with more than 20 years’ experience covering the property/casualty industry. She has won several awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE), including awards for original research for her work on Insurance Journal’s annual salary survey of retail insurance agencies and its annual survey of young insurance agents. She can be reached at: awells@wellsmedia.com.

Car Dealers in the Storm

Dealers Left Standing Will Be Stronger, Leaner, and Better Experts Say Automobile shoppers may be abandoning car makers but insurance carriers and brokers remain dedicated partners, experts say. Yet no one can deny that tough times have fallen on many …

Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor Shows Record of Favoring Insurers

Philadelphia-Based Insurance Attorney Finds Rulings to be ‘Very Insurer-Friendly’ The Supreme Court almost never takes up insurance related cases. Even so, President Obama’s recent Supreme Court nominee— federal appeals Judge Sonia Sotomayor — brings a long record of decisions favoring …

USI Holdings Loses Appeal in Graham Co. Copyright Dispute Case

The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled that a district court should not have reversed a verdict concerning copyright infringement case William A. Graham Company v. Thomas P. Haughey and USI MidAtlantic Inc. The Graham Co., …

Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor Shows Record of Favoring Insurers

The Supreme Court almost never takes up insurance related cases. Even so, President Obama’s recent nominee brings a long record of decisions favoring insurers, a possible plus for the insurance industry, said Philadelphia based insurance attorney Randy J. Maniloff. Maniloff, …

AAMGA Conference Update: What Does Washington Know About Surplus Lines Insurance?

At the annual conference of the Association of Managing General Agencies (AAMGA) now underway in Boca Raton, Florida, attendees are very much attuned to what’s going on up north in Washington, D.C. What do AAMGA members think about what’s going …

Pandemics in the Workplace

How a Flu Pandemic Impacts Workers’ Comp Influenza is nothing new. Seasonal flu epidemics — disease outbreaks with more cases than normal— occur annually killing between 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide. While most deaths associated with influenza in industrialized nations …

What Young Agents Value About Being Independent

Good things come to those who wait and work hard. Even in today’s challenging economic climate, young independent insurance agents remain hopeful and happy to be in a profession that allows them to work independently, be their own boss and …

It’s Not Easy Being Green; But It’s Profitable

Jim Henson’s most famous Kermit the Frog said it the best, “It’s not easy being green.” Today’s property owners and insurers understand that while it’s not easy going green, being green can be profitable. The green building market is steadfastly …

The Freedom to Grow

What Young Agents Value About Being Independent Profile of Young Agents Older Side of Young 62% are 31 to 40 years old 38% are 30 and under Career Choice 84% consider insurance to be a permanent career choice 14% are …

Calif. Rating Bureau Recommends 24.4% Workers’ Comp Rate Increase

The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California (WCIRB) has recommended to the California Department of Insurance (DOI) to implement a 24.4 percent increase in pure premium rates that would take effect July 1, 2009, for new and renewal policies. …